Council strips supermarkets of licences

Two supermarkets have lost their licences after Enfield Council decided to revoke them.

RK Supermarket in Empire Parade, Edmonton, and Sheelpa Express in Ordnance Road, Enfield, had their licences revoked by Enfield Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on April 1 2015.

The licence for Sheelpa Express was revoked after 17 packets of non-duty paid cigarettes and 18 pouches of tobacco were seized by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs officers and trading standards officers in December 2014.

The premises had previously had its licence reviewed three times and the licence holder had previously been caught selling illicit alcohol and had been given a final warning that future offences could see his licence being revoked.

RK Supermarket had its licence revoked after non-duty paid tobacco and alcohol was found on the premises three times in four months.

A multi-agency inspection was carried out at the premises and eight bottles of non-duty paid High Commissioner Whisky were seized in August 2014 then in the same month non-duty paid cigarettes were sold to a Council Officer during a test purchase exercise.

Further non-duty paid tobacco and alcohol were found at the premises 3 months later in November 2014.

Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety, Cllr Chris Bond, said: “These traders have shown a cavalier disregard for the law and deserved no less than to have their licences revoked. We expect businesses to behave lawfully and we’ll take appropriate action against those that choose not to.”

Enfield has now revoked a total of four licenses for non-duty paid and/or counterfeit related issues. Businesses can appeal these decisions and continue to sell alcohol if they appeal, pending the outcome